As we start the new year, its not uncommon for organisations to looks at budgets and general expenditure - and given the current financial outlook, I would have expected many organisations to be taking the time to look at how best to weather the storm. I've found that many organisations typically react with a combination of cost cutting and putting pressure on staff for "more" in such periods. However like many "traditional" sound managerial practices, this cause dysfunctional and negative outcomes in the Age of Software & Digital - and specifically when it comes to any form of knowledge work like Software Development. The problem we have is that these "traditional" managerial practices have become muscle memory - so ingrained with the managerial psyche that it can be a difficult thing to re-think. In this episode, I want to ask you to re-think about 3 things in particular: Training and learning Doing less work Take advantage ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/162 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode, I wanted to take a quick look at the 2022 edition of the State of DevOps Report. I've talked a number of times about the State of DevOps report. I originally introduced it back in episode 13, and last year I devoted seven episodes, 120-126, to a deep-dive into the 2021 edition. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/161 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

I've long held the belief that Estimation is the source of much dysfunction within Software Development. However, with a New Year, I'll like to take this as an opportunity to revisit my strong opinions on the subject - are they still valid? Are there better ways? In this episode I recap the understandable desire for Software Development Estimations, why I feel that its a source of so much dysfunction and my plan for the coming year to test and challenge my opinions. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/160 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

I originally discussed Gantt charts back in episode 62, but I found more history behind them while researching Scientific Management and Taylorism for episode 156. I originally thought to include this additional history in that episode, but it felt out of place - thus this separate episode to revisit Gantt charts. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/159 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updating the why of the podcast.  Over recent episodes, I've take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. And in this weeks episode, I want to explore the idea that there is no a one-size fits all approach to Software Development ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/158 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updating the why of the podcast.  Over the coming episodes, I'll take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. In this episode, I look at why Software Development cannot be deterministic - why do have so many unknowns - why can't we make it as deterministic as moving pig-iron or flipped hamburgers at McDonalds. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/157 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updating the why of the podcast.  Over the coming episodes, I'll take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. In this episode, I want to take a deeper dive into the management practices of yesterday - where they came from and why they gave us success yesterday but are failing us today and certainly not fit for tomorrow ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/156 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updating the why the podcast.  Over the coming episodes, I'll take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. Over the last few episodes, I've looked at the business side of the pitch and how our organisations need to embrace changes as something they do rather than something that happens to them. In this episode, I want to move onto the Software Development half of the pitch, and look at its age and maturity. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/155 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updating the why the podcast.  Over the coming episodes, I'll take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut.  In this episode, I follow on from last weeks introduction of change, brought on by the current Age of Software and Digital, by providing more evidence of change - along with why change shouldn't be something that happens to an organisation - change should be something that an organisation "does". ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/154 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updating the why the podcast.  Over the coming episodes, I'll take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. In this episode, I wanted to talk about why I led with "Welcome to the Age of Software and Digital". ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/153 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updating the why the podcast.  Over the coming episodes, I'll take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. If you listen back to the pitch, you will notice that it is almost half way through the 5 minutes and 21 seconds before I actually mention "software development" - which might seem odd for a podcast entitles "Better ROI from Software Development". In this episode, I explain why I devote pretty much the entire first half of the pitch to talking about the business context we find ourselves in. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/152 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

On the 23rd September, the UK Chancellor announces a series of change during a "mini-budget". The mini-budget, and its contents, have been the subject of much debate ever since. What might have been missed by many people where the changes to the IR35 off-payroll rules - which, as I discuss in this episode, could have material impact on both the contractor AND permanent recruitment markets Note: Since the original recording and release of this episode, the proposed reversal of the "Off-Payroll" rules has been dropped.  This episode does still however provide some value with a description of IR35 and the Off-Payroll rules. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/151 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

Welcome to the 150th episode of the podcast. In this episode, I take a moment of introspection to revisit the "pitch" for this series. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/150 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

Over the last few episodes, I've focused on legacy software - what it is, how it occurs, and various strategies to deal with it. Alongside that legacy software is the legacy data - which is arguably more important than the data. In last week's episode, I talked about why thinking about that legacy data is so important. In this week's, I will provide advice for dealing with it. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/149 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

Over the last few episodes, I've focused on legacy software - what it is, how it occurs, and various strategies to deal with it. Alongside that legacy software is the legacy data - which is arguably more important than the data. In this episode, I want to talk about why thinking about that legacy data is so important ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/148 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen as a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to replace hardware or software. A few weeks ago, I introduced three methods to address legacy software: Evolution - continual improvement to the existing system to bring it out of its "legacy" state Revolution - the wholesale replacement of system with something new And Outsourcing - using a third party to either maintain or replace the legacy system In this episode, I take a deeper dive into Outsourcing ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/147 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen as a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to replace hardware or software.  Two weeks ago, I introduced three methods to address legacy software:  Evolution - continual improvement to the existing system to bring it out of its "legacy" state  Revolution - the wholesale replacement of system with something new  And Outsourcing - using a third party to either maintain or replace the legacy system In this episode, I take a deeper dive into Revolution  ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/146  Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen as a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to replace hardware or software. In last week's episode, I introduced three methods to address legacy software: Evolution - continual improvement to the existing system to bring it out of its "legacy" state Revolution - the wholesale replacement of system with something new And Outsourcing - using a third party to either maintain or replace the legacy system In this episode, I take a deeper dive into Evolution ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/145 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen as a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to replace hardware or software. In this episode, I'll introduce three methods to address legacy software: Evolution - continual improvement to the existing system to bring it out of its "legacy" state Revolution - the wholesale replacement of system with something new And Outsourcing - using a third party to either maintain or replace the legacy system I briefly compare the three options and will dig further into each in future episodes. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/144 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to replace hardware or software. In this episode, I'll describe a simply risk matrix that can be used to monitor and highlight how legacy your software products are. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/143 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap